Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire - African Democratic Rally

The Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire - African Democratic Rally (PDCI-RDA) is a conservative political party in Cote d'Ivoire that was founded in 1946 by Felix Houphouet-Boigny. Upon independence in 1960, Houphouet-Boigny declared that the PDCI was the only legal part in the country, and it was effectively one with the government for the next 30 years. All adult Ivorians were required to be members of the party, which was considered the primary intermediary between the government and the people. In 1990, the party won a landslide majority in the legislature after the first multi-party elections, owing to its continued monopoly on power. Houphouet-Boigny led the party until his death in 1993, and the party's next leader, Henri Konan Bedie, was overthrown in a 1999 coup. The party remained a strong party in the country, uniting with other pro-Houphouetism parties to form a governing coalition in 2005.